Cheerful modern quilts

Category Archives: kids stuff

Just finished the last of a flurry of custom orders! It has been so much fun working on quilts that I know are going to happy homes. This cutie is for a baby on the way in Texas. Baby quilts are my absolute favorite size to make. I work on a Janome Gem, which I recently learned is 3/4 size (!), and even though I’ve made a few queen size quilts on it, it’s much happier working on a smaller scale. The backing for this quilt is a great organic cotton that I happened to have on hand–it’s such a perfect fit with the colors my client picked. I love that it has a little shimmer in some of the dots.

My shelves in my little shop are pretty bare but it’s time to work on some things for my house and holiday presents. Up next, a tablecloth for Thanksgiving and leaf coasters. Plus a surprise quilt that I am super excited about. I’m going to post about this quilt as I go, so more posts on this WIP coming soon.

Like this:

I just finished another version of this “domino” quilt. I rarely make the same quilt twice, but this pattern is so much fun. It feels colorful and playful but still sort of minimal. I used a little more orange in this version and I really like the warm and sunny palette of this one. I went with yellow binding, again. I think the yellow looks great with the backing fabric (a Zen Chic print). I am liking yellow more and more these days!

Have you discovered Umbrella Prints from Australia? I first read about them on Anna Graham’s fantastic blog Noodlehead and was immediately smitten. The patterns are cheerful without being too cutesy and the colors are gorgeous. I’m always on the lookout for fun prints that will appeal to kids and adults alike–so I ordered a set of fat quarters from their Elephants Love Water collection knowing I’d find a project for them in no time.

Once I had them in hand, I knew I wanted to make a baby quilt. I had some leftover melon and peach Kona from making my daughter’s quilt, and I really liked how they worked with the deep orange in the heart print. Because I usually work in all solids, when I use a print I like to give it room to shine. I decided on a really simple design that centers on the print–and added a few little scrappy pieces on the sides.

My favorite part of this quilt is the quilting itself. I used a straight-line quilting pattern that echoes the small frame of cocoa that surround the main block of the print. I really love the window pane effect, and the spacing of the lines makes the finished quilting really soft and cozy.

All the ladies in my family have a thing for stripes. Chances are one of us, if not all, will be wearing stripes on any given day. So when my daughter wanted a new quilt for her bedroom, I was pretty sure her design would include stripes. We had a great time designing this quilt–Betty chose the colors, selected the fabrics, and sketched her plan. The quilt is made of strips that I made longer than needed so we could play around with the lengths and order of the colored stripes. A process declared to be surprisingly fun!

I really like how the simplicity of the design showcases the prints, and the balance of bold and subtle patterns makes the quilt lively without being too busy. Nice work, Betty!

Betty may not have an interest in sewing (yet!) but she so far she is my favorite client.

Here is a peek at the Icy Peach backing and the Melon binding. I especially love that Melon, and am very glad I got some extra.

I finally used some yellow (almost) in a quilt and I love it. When I started working on the design I was planning to use the yellow print (from the Olympus Soleil collection) along with a citron yellow. Then I noticed the print’s selvage colors (the little colored circles at the edge of the fabric that show what inks are used in the print) and I was surprised that there wasn’t a true yellow. Even though the overall effect is yellow–the actual colors are chartreuse, lavender, peach, mint, and ecru. I had ordered some Wasabi Kona cotton (one of the new colors) for another project and it was a perfect match for with the yellow-green in the print.

Wasabi is one of those colors that really changes depending on the light–sometimes it looks green and sometimes yellow. The linen is handkerchief weight in natural from fabrics-store.com. It has a really beautiful drapy-ness. I used gray gingham for the back–I love how the yellow-green contrasts with the gray. This quilt is added to my Etsy shop.

This quilt is a modern interpretation of an Amish bars quilt, and it turned out almost exactly like my original paper sketch. The colors remind me of California–sunny and laid back–and I think the organic shapes of the bars keep the design from feeling rigid. I debated about using a patterned binding. As much as I love solids, it didn’t work to pick up one of the colors from the bars, and I couldn’t find a good contrasting color–but the Yuwa aqua honeycomb seemed just right. With the pared down design, this little touch of pattern adds some fun without being fussy. Plus this fabric is so soft and silky it really adds to the drapey texture of this quilt. The backing fabric is Cloud Nine Simpatico in Peachy Straws–which is a lovely organic fabric.

At last, here is the finished framed star quilt! I went with aqua binding, and I think it adds a nice cheerful touch. Binding is almost my favorite part of quilting. I love how it pulls a finished quilt together and I really enjoy the hand stitching. I started out crafting as a knitter and sometimes I miss sitting on the couch and working on a project. I bound this quilt while watching the US Open round of 16–perfect.

I am very happy to be linking up with SwimBikeQuilt100 Quilts for Kids and–more importantly–to be donating this quilt to Peaceful Paths. This organization in Gainesville, Florida, (my hometown) provides support to women and children who are survivors of domestic violence.